Bolivia: Search continues for missing people after military base explosions kill at least three

More than 10 people remained missing in the ruins of a military base in Bolivia after two powerful explosions killed at least three people and devastated nearby buildings. The blasts struck the facility in Viacha, where pyrotechnic materials were stored, under circumstances that had not been clarified.

Rescue teams removed debris from the base on Saturday. Broken windows, torn roofs and uprooted trees showed the force of the shock waves, which also damaged homes close to the facility. Prosecutors said a man recovered from the rubble that evening became the third confirmed fatality.

Earlier, base commander Colonel Antonio Amaru said 14 people were missing: a sergeant and 13 young conscripts aged 18 and 19. It remained unclear whether the third victim was among them. The other two people killed were conscripts. The Defense Ministry reported 84 injured.

A preliminary investigation found that the first explosion involved pyrotechnic material stored in a warehouse. Investigators were still examining the second blast, which officials described as much stronger. Viacha's mayor said the city, with about 100,000 residents and located roughly 30 kilometers from the capital, lacks a hospital equipped to handle an incident of this scale. Most of the injured therefore needed transfers to El Alto and La Paz.

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14 people were missing: a sergeant and 13 young people aged 18 to 19 who were serving their military service.